Tension control for paper rolls and the like



Oct. 31, 1944. J, z. MQMULLEN ETAL 2,361,856

TENSION CONTROL FOR PAPER ROLLS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 9, 1943 lNvENToRs JossmE VcNmw/v' GVRQES drelveue ATTO2NEY$.

Oct. 31, 1944. J MOMULLEN ETAL 2,361,856

TENSION CONTROL FOR PAPER ROLLS AND THE LIKE Filed July 9, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7/ E 5 f l i I i 60 LE:+::

INVENTORF: JQJE E Mc/70444-W 13 5 1' 01424.5: Jrs/vame c 414%, MAM

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 31, 1944 ornca 2,361,856 TENSION couraor. 1 255 0123 nous 'ANDTHE Joseph'E. McMullen and Charles Stenger, Milwaukee. Wis.

Application Julyil, 194:, Serial No. 493,972 volume. ((1242-58) This invention relates to improvements in tension controls for paper rolls and the like. The

invention has particular utility in the feed of a printing press and isexempllfled in drawings showing the application of Hoe press. r

It is the object of the invention to avoid the over or under tensioning of a new roll at the time of making a paster connection. As one supply roll is exhausted, it is moved out of the position in which it is normally subject to automatic tension control and a full roll is moved into such position, At the time the web from the nearly exhausted roll is pasted to roll, the peripheral speed of the full roll should not only approximatethe perimetral rate of travel the invention to a from the web or the exhausted roll, but the tension to which the full roll is subjected should approximately correspond with the tension on the web leading from the exhausted roll. If the tension on the full roll is excessive, when the pasted joint is made, the excess may cause the web to break. Insumcient tension will cause a loss of control of the web with consequent spoilage of some of the printing and possible breakage of the web.

The matter. of arriving at the proper tensioning of a new supply roll at the time of making a paster has heretofore been dependent upon the the web on the full great skill and experienceoi the operator. It is the primary purpose of the invention to so simplify and render automatic the-determination of requisite tension as to greatly reduce the amount of skill and experience required and to assure more perfect results.

Other objects will appear in more detail to those skilled in the art upon analysis of the following disclosure of the invention.

' In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of portions of the tension control mechanism of a printing press as such mechanism appears at the moment when a paster is about to be made.

Fig.2 is a sectional view of some of the same mechanism, parts-beingbroken away, showing the mechanism in thecondition which precedes the making of a pester.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail in plan of portions of the tension control belts and the mounting shaft upon which the belt assemblies oscillate for the control of tension. I

Fig. 4 is a detail view in elevation of the end of the belt control shaft opposite to the end shown in Fig. 1. V

Fig; 5 is a simplified wiringdiagram showing tive adjustment and (relays omitted) the simplified circuitscontrolled in accordance with the present invention. 7

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several viewe I The construction and operation of 'theco'nventional structure will first be briefly described'.

There is a reel at I mountedforindexlng'rotaprovided with a number of arms supporting the arb'ors 1 upon which the supply rolls 8, .9 and III are mounted. Each of the 'arbors (or chucks engaged with such arbors)" is supplied with itsown manually adjustable tension regulating brake at II. r The web I! withdrawn from the supply roll l0 passes guide rolls l3 and I I tothe rolls l5 and I6 between which the web forms a bight I! in which the tension controllingroll l8 floats. 'I'hereupon the web passes to the press.

The tension controlling roll II is carried by an arm I 9 on the rock shaft 20 whereof another arm is subject to the bias of a tension spring 2| urging the roll I! downwardly. As the tension on the web increases, the roll ll will yield upwardly againstthe tension spring 2|. As the tension on the web decreases; the roll I 8 wardly subject to the bias of spring 2|.

The arm 22 connected with rock shaft Illactuates through link 23 a pair of switches .24, '25 (Fig. 5) in the tension controlbox 2t (Fig. .1). When the roll I! moves downwardly due to a decrease in web tension, switch 25 is closed to operate in adownward direction the tensionhig device hereinafter to be described. when the tension is excessive, switch 24 is closed by the upward movement oi roll I! to elevate the tensioning device hereinafter to be described.

The tensioning device comprises a pair of belts l0 and 3| extending over pulleys on shaft 82 whereby such belts are driven. The belts also extend about pulleys 33 and 34, respectively mounted on arms 35 and which are oscillatable upon the belt arm shaft 31. Each pulley 33, 3|, has its own takeup device which is illustrated in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 but, comprising no part of the present invention, is not described in detail. 1

In normal operation, the belts in and 3| are maintained in pressure contact with the periphery of the supply roll which is in the operative position of the roll shown at 9 in Fig. 1. The belts operate at a speed slightly slower than the peripheral speed of roll 9 required to feed the web from such roll at the desired rate. The more lightly the belts bear on the roll, the greater will be the slippage and the more pressure that ls exwill move d'ownfor adjusting the position of such shaft.

erted by the belts upon the roll. the less willbe the slippage. Thus tensloniis controlled by the oscillatory position of shaft I1 which regulates the pressure withwhich'the belts engage roll 9.

A reversible motor 18 (Figs. 1, 3, has gear and segment connection to the belt and shaft 31 The switches '24, in the tension control box 26 normally automatically regulate the forward and reverse operation of motor .38 to produce oscillations of shaft 31 in the requisite direction to adjust the belts v and 3| upwardly and downwardly with respect to the supply roll with which they are engaged, thereby automatically regulating the tension to which such ,roll is subject.

, If the automatic downward movement of the belts becomes so excessive asto endangerthe apparatus, the motor circuit which operates the belt arms downwardly is broken by emergency limit switches mounted on the'respective belt arms and shown at 38 and .40 in Figs.,3 and 5.

These switches are in series so that if the lower flight of either belt touches the actuator of either switch the circuit otherwisecontrolled by the tension increasing switch '25 will be opened. A similar emergency switch isdisposed at 42 where its actuator 43 may be engaged by a cam 44 on the belt arm shaft '31 (Fig, 4) to open the circuit otherwise controlled by the tension releasing switch 24, in the event that the upward or tension decreasing movement .of the belt .arms becomes excessive. For manual control of .tension, push button switches are pmvides at is and as "which (showing of interlocking relays omitted) can be used at any timeto take over from the automatic switches 24 and 25 the controlof motor ,38 and the consequent position of the belt arm shaft 31 and the belts.

In operation, supply ,roll I0 being almost exhausted, as shown in'Fig. ,2, the operator manually adjusts tension brake H :to maintain substantially the same tension on the web H as has theretofore been automatically maintained through the adjustment of the tensioning belts 30, 3|. As the hand brake becomes operative on the arbor of roll I0, the tensioning belts are lifted to the position shown in Fig. 2 'untilthey are not only free of roll ill but leaveroom for the substitution of a full roll.

The reel 6 is now indexed to move the nearly exhausted roll In to the position shown in Fig. 1, bringing full roll 9 into position beneath the belts 30, 3|. To assist the operator in maintaining by hand brakes II the same tension on web l2 which has heretofore been maintained automatically, we provide at .41 a pointer on the rock shaft .20 of the tension responsive arm |9. Plate 48 carries an adjustable indicator ,49 with which the pointer 41 will substantially register when the tension is correct.

With the new roll 9 in position, the belts 3 0 and 3| are lowered into engagement therewith and the roll is set in motion. As above noted, it is critically essential that the tension which will become effective on the new roll at the time the paster" is made must correspond substantially with the tension on the nearly exhausted roll.

The pastor is made through structure and technique well known tothe art and will only briefly be described. The operator pulls hand lever 50 and 'paster lever 5| from their retracted positions of Fig. 2 toward the positions in which such levers are shown in Fig. v1. The brush 53 forces the web l2 into immediate proximity to the periphery of roll 9. As contact of web I2 with the periphery of roll 0 is achieved, the adhesive!!! treated end of the web on .roll 0 adheres to the web 12 and becomes a part thereof and the cutoff knife 54 is concurrently actuated to sever that portion .of web I2 coming from the exhausted roll Hi. The' means by which the cutoff knife is actuated is not shown, being no part of the present invention,

As a step toward the achievement of the results sought by the present invention, we provide a pointer 55 .on the operator's end of the belt arm shaft 31 andprovide a fixed scale at v 5.6 on the arm supporting such shaft to afford,

in conjunction with pointer 55, a reading indicative of the position of the belt arm shaft 31, such position being, in general, correlated to the belt tension exerted .on a full roll (as a roll becomes used, the belt arms would have to be lowered to maintain the same tension).

At the other end of shaft 31, as shown in Figs. 3 and .4, we mount on the shaft an oscillatably adjustable arm 51 carrying a cam lobe 58 arranged to interact with cam follower roller 59 on the switch actuator 60 of switch 6| connected in series with push button 45 between the supply line and the down circuit terminal 62 of motor 38. On the cam supporting arm 51, a pointer 64 moves across a scale 65 on the disk portion of cam 44 on the belt arm shaft 31. The reading of pointer 54 on the scale 65 may be et to correspond with the reading which pointer (Fig. 1) should have with respect to scale 56 when the belts engage, at proper tension, a full roll of predetermined diameter.

It will be apparent that the desired position of the belt arms and belts to achieve the predetermined tension onthe-full roll will be somewhere intermediate the extreme positions of such arms and belts as determined by the emergency limitswitches. It will also be intermediate the normalrange of operation of the tension belts in response to automatic control of the switches in the tension control box 26 during normal functioning. When this intermediate position is determined to achieve requisite tension, all the operatorneeds to do, to set such tension, is to push the manually operable switch button 45 until the belt arms are lowered from the elevated retracted position and come to rest. They will come to rest whenever the adjustable cam lobe '58 encountersthe cam follower 59 to open switch 6|. Thus, the required tension is achieved automatically without requiring any particular skill on the part of the operator.

However, it would not do to have the circuit to mtor 38 interrupted during normal operation by any such engagement of the cam lobe 58 with the cam follower 59. Accordingly, we devised means for making the interruption of the down circuit of motor 38 in this manner occur only in the course of making a paster. To this end, we provide at 10 (Fig. l and Fig. 5) a switch shunting switch 6| and biased toward open position. This switch is normally held closed by engagement of cam follower roller II with cam lobe 12 on the hand lever 5|! which operates the paster arm 5|. When the paster lever 50 is moved to the position shown in Fig. '1, the disengagement of its lobe 12 from the roller 7| opens switch Hi, leaving switch .6I in control of the circuit. During the raised position of lever 50 in normal operation, the switch 10 is closed, shcrtingswitch 6| out of operation.

In preparing to make a, poster, lever 50 is caused by the adjustment of the brush arms to w i I asonsuo assume the positionashownrln Fig. lbetora the belts are loweredon to. the new. roll. Thus; when the belts are lowered on; to the new roll; the switch 10: isopen' andtthe switch Bil-is; therefore .left in control of' 'therm'otorcircuitv 36.. in series with pushxbutton-iswitchi 45; i

There is a. brief" interval; of time after the belts have been moved into proper tension err-- gagementwiththe new roll: during which the predetermined tension. might be; varied by i the automatic switcheshu and. 25.;in the tension. control,box:.26;. but fora. further circuit arrangement. It" is undesirable during this period to leave the. automatic. tension controls; in effect inasmuch as the-floating roll= I 8 isstill governed by, theatensionoithe hand? brake I I on'lthearborof theexhaustedgroll Hi3 whereas thebeltsareoperatingyon: the new: roll .ikduring this interval.

Since-the. webeismot yet moving from the new roll. 9', no chan'gein the tension of the-webmov ing from the"exhaustedkroll.*should.be allowed to: shift: the-belts 301. from their: predetermined position. Accordingly, Iprovide on" the bracket -ll'ito which the paster armjll is pivoted: a witch" separate switche lfiizfbe employedfon a. double.

poleswitch).

Tliesevseveral changes. will... be understood by those skilled. in the; art" tow-greatly simplify the operation of substituting a fulllrollfor the nearly exhaustewroll iin .a, press or the-like. 'Iheautomatic,;:contro1s:remain effective throughout. the normal. unwindingznf the web .to control: the ten-- sion; Yet, wh'eni change-is being. made; thesenormally operating automatic controls are renderedz ineffective anda new zset of automatic controls becomes. effective without" any attention onthe part of-the: operator, but purely incldentally tothe routine .movements requisite toxa change of'rolls, Thereisanotching new for. the operator 110.168.1111} .rather; the skill required. of him is loss, since the-:diffi'cult: task of' predetermining the tensionionthe new: roll, immediately preceding. the pasterl -isr automatically gov-- erned. in: accordanceewitli the settingrof one of the special jswitches. providedxin: accordance with this invention.

Weclaim:

1. Inzarxwebzunwinding device of the; type hav-- ing; web; tensionings means manually controllable as: to: adjustment preliminary 'to'. a :pasterf the. combinationiwith the tension. adjusting member and-manually, controlled-.means for the adjustment thereof; of Ian adjustable limiting device forv predeterminingi the setting to. which suchmemher isadjusted; said; limiting device comprising means; for: interrupting the movement: of; said member irrespective' -of continued manual control 5 2.- Inua web unwinding -device of the-type havi a :belt flight-"adjustable as to its pressure engagement withyan unwinding roll to regulatewthetensionof a; web unwound therefrom and havin and. arm. provided with? a. guide supporting saidv belt flight '1 and; mounted. for adjustment, and a motor having drivingconnections tor-the adjustmentotsaid arm, thecombination with said arm 01- a. motoncontrolcircuit including a plurality otswitches inseries, oneotsaid switches comprising a. manually operable switch and another comprisingaswitch mechanically actuated in accordance with the position of saiduarmto determine a predetermined adjustment thereof, said arm and-said last mentioned switch being provided with. parts engageable for switch actuation in'a predetermined position of saidarm to open said last mentionedswitch whereby to interrupt the circuit to said motor irrespective of the con tinued closed circuit position of the manually operable switch, together with a third switchsh'unting the "mechanically operated switch and normallypclosed. to render; said, mechanically Operable-switch ineffective to open'thecircuit, a han- 'dle operable prerequisite to a pastel operation, and'means connected with the handle for opening said "third. switch upon the movement of the handle, thereby leaving the-mechanically operated-switch in control of the motor circuit pre liminary to a pester operation. g

3. Adevice of the character descrlbedcomprisingin combination a paster arm, a handle connected therewith for the operation thereof, a switch provided. with means operable to open the switch upon displacement of the handle and paster arm, a. tension belt having a flight movable toand-fiom tension engagement with. a sup ply roll, a belt arm' provided with a guide pulley for said belt movable to vary tension on said.

roll, a rock shaft supporting said arm for adjustment, a. second switch normally closed and provided with connections from said rock shaft for opening'said switch upon movement of said rock shaittoa predetermined point in a direction of increase-of tensioning pressure of said belt upon a roll, a motor provided with driving connections for the oscillation of said rock shaft, a third switch manually operable for the operation of said motor; and a motor circuit in which the first and second switches are connectedin parallel with each other and in series with thethird and alimit switch inseries, meansfor adjusting the limit switch to determinethe tension position atwhichsaidlimit switch will opento stop. said motor irrespective ofthe manually operable switch, switch meansfnormally closed in shunt across the. limit switch whereby to render the. limit switch normallyineifectiveduring automatictensioning control ofysaid motor, normallyclosed' switch means inseries with the automatically operable switch means first mentioned. and means for opening both of the last mentioned switch means' for rendering tension adjustment subiect to manual control and r ndering said manual control subject to the predetermined adjustment of the limit switch q.

5. In a. device of the character described, the

combination with a' reel mounted for indexing movement and comprising plurality of roll arbor'su-pports, manually adjustable brake means forindividually retarding rotation of the respec-- tive roll arbors, a tensioning beltzadjustableto and from aroll supported. on' onefor said arbors and provided with guides, a belt arm for at least one of said guides adjustable to vary the tensioning pressure of the belt on the roll with which it is engageable, a rock shaft upon which said arm is mounted for tension adjustment, a motor provided with driving connections to said rock shaft for the oscillation thereof in tension increasing and tension decreasing directions, guide means for a web withdrawn from the tension roll and including a tension responsive roll, an arm upon which the last mentioned roll is mounted for tension responsive movement, switch means connected to the last mentioned arm to be actuated thereby and including a tension increasing switch and a tension decreasing switch oppositely movable and connected in circuit with said motor, indicating means including a stationary part and a part connected with said arm for showing the proper tension position of the tension responsive arm, a poster arm movable between advanced and retracted positions, switch means operable in advenue of said arm and in circuit with said tension increasing and decreasing switches for cutting of! the current thereto upon the advance of said paster arm, and means for manually adjusting the position 01' the belt arm to control the tension position of the belt when the paster arm is advanced.

6. The device oi. claim 5 in which means for manual adjustment of the belt arm comprises a manually operable switch and circuit connections therethrough to said motor, and'a limit switch in series with the manually operable switch for predetermining a proper tension position of the belt arm and interrupting motor operation at said position, said limit switch comprising an actuated part and said arm having in connection therewith an actuating part for transmitting movement to said actuated part for the opening of the limit switch. 4

7. The device oi claim 5 in which means for manual adjustment of the belt arm comprises a manually operable switch and circuit connections therethroughto said motor, and a limit switch in series with the manually operable switch for predetermining a proper tension position of the belt arm and interrupting motor operation at said position, said limit switch comprising an actuated part and said arm having in connection therewith an actuating part for transmitting movement to said actuated part for the opening of the limit switch, together with an auxiliary switch normally closed in shunt across the limit switch to preclude the opening of the motor circuit by the limit switch during automatic tension control, the said auxiliary switch being provided with connections for the opening of said switch in the course of movement of the pastor arm, whereby the initial seating of the paster arm preliminary to a pasting operation will leave the belt arm subject to the control of the limit switch.

' JOSEPH E. McMULLEN.

CHARLES STENGER, 

